Hot Cocoa
by pitupaso
Summary: Hot cocoa makes everything better. Deals with Luffy and what happened in Movie 6, Lily Carnation Story for those who can't recall. SanjixLuffy NAKAMASHIP.


_**AN: **I'm writing this because Movie 6 was just so… unexplained. I personally think it was a wonderful movie, despite the sudden shift from light-heartedness to drastically menacing and creepy horror, and I feel that it would have been a lot better and stronger if answers were given at the end, instead of Luffy just randomly bursting into giggles and everyone having their memory wiped. So yeah._

_**Spoilers below if you haven't watched the movie**, I suppose, and speculations that may be incorrect on my part._

_If you haven't watched Movie 6, just go to youTube and search for "One Piece Film". –is extremely grateful to the person who uploaded it-_

* * *

He had to be carried back to the ship after that – far too many wounds, too much blood loss, it was a miracle how he could even draw enough breath to laugh at all. All the while his first mate carried him back to the Going Merry, Monkey D. Luffy could not stop smiling – an ear-splitting grin that stayed on his face even long after the ship had set sail from the island.

It was relief, he supposed, as he lay immobile on the couch in the men's quarters while Chopper busied himself with cleaning out each of the hundred or more wounds he'd received to his back, when the rain of arrows had hit him. Giddy, fantastic, blissful relief; nervous triumph, bordering on the edge of incredulity. It seemed more so especially since his nakama had returned to him looking far better than he'd expected them to be, with little to no recollection as to what happened directly after they'd gotten knocked out.

Robin, intelligent woman, was the only crew member who had any inkling as to what might have happened. Her findings, pieced together with the young Captain's excited ramblings and a couple of observations from the doctor, the story of what happened on that island slowly began to fill in for the Straw Hat crew.

It wasn't discussed for long – after finding out what had happened to them, and the ordeal their captain had to go through to retrieve them all, the topic was silently, unanimously closed. Luffy was still smiling, of course, having already gone back to his old, obliviously carefree ways, grinning stupidly around a slab of meat Sanji had passed him. The others had expressions ranging from horror to silent respect, watching Luffy eat messily, but under that, they experienced a touch of relief.

They weren't particularly traumatized by the events – they had been unconscious while held captive inside the plant, after all, and for the most part, any strange spats that had occurred between them were quickly forgotten or else waved off. Usopp stuffed his fingers in his ears, singing loudly and grinning while Nami kept hitting him over the head and attempted to scream her apologies through his hands. Zoro and Sanji were caught up in yet another harmless argument, though it was quickly turning into the opposite. Chopper had already started flailing at them, shouting at Robin to help while she pretended not to have heard him, smiling down at the pages of a book she was obviously not reading.

Luffy just tipped his head back and laughed.

So it was with ease that the Straw Hats went to bed with that night, knowing everything was once more well on the ship. Nami and Robin retreated to their cabin, chorusing their goodnights; Usopp went to take his watch; and the remaining four boys scuffled about who would take the hammocks until the doctor reminded Luffy that he still had not yet recovered, and would require the best sleeping material possible, namely, the couch. After a couple more minutes of friendly squabbling and noogies, the boys settled in, lights were put out, and sleep drew over the Going Merry.

Four hours later, Sanji was rudely awoken by a tug on his hammock that sent him tumbling rather painfully to the wooden floor. He swore. "It isn't my watch yet, you shitty Longno – Luffy?"

It was dark, but he could make out the white of Luffy's bandages around his chest, and two very wide, awake eyes peering at him from beneath a mop of sleep-mussed hair. The Captain squatted next to his sprawled form, and tugged once more on a sleeve. "Sanjiiii, I'm hungry."

The cook groaned, then paused. "Why didn't you go raid the kitchen as usual then?"

A laugh. "I don't know how to make a warm drink. Could you make one for me?"

"Troublesome brat…" Sanji stifled a yawn – it was too late for arguing or reasoning, and he was wide awake from the fall anyway. It didn't stop him from grumbling though, as he felt his way over to the mast and began climbing out. "Come on, then."

Luffy followed the blond into the galley, walking, surprisingly, instead of bouncing all over the damned place as he usually did. Sanji flipped on the lights, squinting out of reflex at the sudden brightness, before pulling out several cans of assorted powders and combining teaspoons from each into a mug. "Hot cocoa okay, Captain?"

"Aa." He could hear Luffy flop himself onto the wooden crate that served as a long chair. Sanji stirred the drink, churning the mixture so it produced a thick layer of frothy bubbles, set it before the boy, and startled.

Luffy quickly bent his head, reaching for the offered mug with a grin. "Thanks, Sanji!" he said, a little too hastily, then tipped its contents down his throat. Three quarters of a second later, he was choking, hands clamped over his mouth almost comically; the cook let off more colorful swearing and reached over to thump the captain on the back. "It was HOT, you idiot! You didn't have to chug it down like that!"

Luffy swallowed with difficulty, then gave a strangled half scream for his burnt throat, his tongue looking like a swollen red slug. Sanji rubbed his temples before quickly pouring the idiot brat a glass of iced water, which was greedily gulped down, cubes and all. He waited as the boy coughed, running his tongue madly across his lips as though to quell the burning and rubbing at his throat, before giving a sigh. "Luffy. Something wrong?"

"Arh?" Luffy's tongue was still hanging limply from his mouth. "Norh, norhfing's wong."

"Liar. Your eyes are bloodshot."

"Itchy!" Luffy was scrubbing the back of his hand across them then, furiously. Sanji grabbed his wrists, pulled them away.

"Stop that, you'll make it worse – "

"I'm fine!" Luffy blurted, yanking free of the cook's grasp before crossing his arms and looking in another direction, his lips pursed in a childish pout.

"Luffy." Sanji tried to sound like he was genuinely concerned, but he couldn't suppress the slight smile at the captain's childish behavior. "Were you crying?"

"NO!"

The answer came even before he'd finished asking his question. Sanji gave a slight smirk. A yes, then.

He sat himself down opposite the boy, nudged the half-full mug of still-hot cocoa towards him. ("It's still hot," he warned, as Luffy grabbed it defensively, still sulking.) He leant back against the wooden wall, expression sobering slightly as he watched the younger fiddle with the mug handle, turning the ceramic container absently in his hands.

"Was it about – "

"Just a stupid nightmare," Luffy said suddenly, still sounding defensive, but he gave the mug in his hands a harder turn. "About that stupid flower guy and his stupid arrows, and his stupid plant." At the word plant, however, a small shudder ran through his frame. He quickly picked up the mug and took a cautious sip, hoping to cover up the action, but Sanji's eyes were sharp.

The cook didn't press the matter though. If his Captain wanted to talk about it he'd do so. Sure enough, Luffy put the mug down, still sulking full force.

"Stupid plant had you guys stuck in it, and I couldn't cut it open. And then it… I mean, it ate you already, but I could still see you guys, but then, you all really disappeared for good." Another shudder, another sip. "But it's just a nightmare," he repeated, looking at Sanji as though challenging him to make a derisive remark about his Captain crying, "just a stupid nightmare that isn't real. And I sent that guy flying anyway. Plus Uncle took out that flower." Sip. "They won't come back, ever."

Sanji gave a shrug. "I didn't say anything." Gentle teasing, offering light support.

Luffy finished off his drink and wiped his mouth. Sanji took the mug and the glass, made to wash them in the sink. He took his time. "Captain," he said, his tone casual, "nothing wrong with crying, you know. Especially considering what happened."

"Boys don't cry." Luffy really sounded like a child. "Captains don't cry over nightmares."

"I'd bawl my eyes out if I found out I was going to lose my nakama," Sanji said, depositing the clean glass in the drying rack. "Really, Luffy, it's okay."

"…Che," Luffy muttered. But the cook could hear the grin and the sulk in that sentence, and he smiled to himself, too. "Hurry up, Sanjiii, I wanna go back to sleep."

"Asshole, you were the one who dragged me out of bed, so you shouldn't even be complaining."

"Captain's orders. You can't defy those."

"No," Sanji agreed, setting down the mug, "definitely not. Move it, Luffy."

Luffy laughed, letting the cook through the door first, punching him lightly on the shoulder as he exited. The two headed back to bed without another word.

* * *

_**AN:** Durrh I was supposed to be writing Robin talking about theories as to how Lily managed to help the Flower Guy and whatnot, but it turned into this. Bad plotbunny._


End file.
